Let's
Look at all the

Different
Breeds of Goats...

The goat, along with sheep, were
among the earliest domesticated animals. Goat remains have been found at
archaeological sites in western Asia, such as Jericho, Choga, Mami, Djeitun and
Cayonu, which allows domestication of the goats to be dated at between 6000 and
7000 B.C. However, unlike sheep, their ancestry is fairly clear. The major
contributor of modern goats is the Bezoar goat which is distributed from the
mountains of Asia Minor across the Middle East to Sind.1

The six traditional breeds of
goats are Nubian, Alpine, Saanen, Toggenburg, LaMancha, and Oberhasli. Other
breeds which are growing in popularity include Pygmy, Boer, Cashmere, and
Angora. Almost all goats are born with horns, but most goats (except for
Pygmies) are dehorned at a young age to protect both the goat and humans.

The Six Primary Breeds:

Nubian

This is the
most popular breed. This breed is large, has long, wide, pendulous
ears, and a roman nose. Goats of this breed usually are brown, but can
be almost any color. The Nubian breed originated in the United Kingdom
from British and Near-East descendants. Nubians have a high butterfat
content in their milk. Nubian milk is therefore good for cheese
making.

Alpines

Alpines
originated in Switzerland. They were later imported to France and
England, and then to the United States. Most Alpines are either black
and white, brown and white, but can have various other color patterns.
This breed has dished, or curved, noses, and upright ears.

Saanens

Saanens
are another Swiss breed. These goats are large, kind, and friendly.
This breed of goats is generally all-white, with forward-facing ears.

Toggenburgs

Toggs are
medium-sized chocolate animals who also originated in Switzerland's
Toggenburg Valley.

La
Mancha

This breed
was developed in the United States of a Spanish breed that was
crossbred with other breeds. This breed is distinguished by having
very short ears.

Oberhasli

Oberhasli,
another Swiss breed, is colored Chamoisee, ranging from light
to a deep red bay with black facial stripes, muzzle and forehead.
Oberhaslis can also be black in color.

Other Breeds
Include:

The
Pygmy Goat was originally called the Cameroon Dwarf
Goat. The goat is mostly restricted to the West African
countries. Similar forms of Pygmy goats also occur in all of
northern Africa, in the south western African countries, and
also in east Africa. The breed originated in the former
French Cameroon area. The Cameroon goats were exported from
Africa to zoos in Sweden and Germany where they were on
display as exotic animals. The first Pygmys probably arrived
in the United States in 1959 from Sweden. Pygmy goats
are primarily kept as pets as they do not produce milk of
any significant quantity.

The
Boer Goat was developed in South Africa as a breed
meant solely for meat production. The Boer goat is
considered far superior to any other goat for meat.

Cashmereproduction is a new industry for the United
States. The first Cashmere goats were imported from
Australia and New Zealand in the late 1980's. Since then
several Cashmere breeders and growers have been producing
breeding stock to launch this new industry in the US.
They are sheared once a year and a full grown adult buck
will yield as much as 2.5 pounds of fleece. The fleece
consists of two kinds of fiber, cashmere and guard hair.

Angora:
The most valuable characteristic of the Angora as compared
to other goats is the value of the mohair that is clipped.
The average goat in the U.S. shears approximately 5.3 pounds
of mohair per shearing and are usually sheared twice a year.
The mohair is very similar to wool in chemical composition
but differs from wool in that it is has a much smoother
surface and very thin, smooth scale. Consequently, mohair
lacks the felting properties of wool. Mohair is very similar
to coarse wool in the size of fiber. Mohair has been
considered very valuable as an upholstering material for the
making of plushes and other covering materials where
strength, beauty, and durability are desired.